All About Clean Agent Fire Suppression Systems

January 18, 2018

Learn all about clean agent fire suppression systems!

While fire sprinkler systems are the most common type of fire protection systems for commercial buildings, they may not be the best option for buildings with a lot of electronics. The water can cause extreme damage to places like control centers, power plants, and offices with computers that store essential documents. For these buildings, clean agent fire suppression systems are a great option, as they can suppress a fire with gas that won’t cause damage to electronics.

3 Common Clean Agent Systems

There are three common clean agent fire suppression systems to choose from, including FM-200, 3M™ Novec™ 1230, and Inergen Clean Agent Fire Suppression System. All systems use gases that are safe for the environment and humans, but they utilize different ways of suppressing a fire.

The FM-200 system is stored as a liquid and vaporizes when discharged. The system displaces the oxygen around a fire, but heat absorption is its primary extinguishing capability.

The Inergen system uses inert gases- nitrogen, argon, and carbon dioxide- to reduce the oxygen level and suppress the fire. While carbon dioxide is included, the concentration is safe for humans and the environment. Once the Inergen concentration is discharged, it returns to the atmosphere in its natural state.

The 3M™ Novec™ 1230 system uses a liquid that is vaporized when discharged, similar to the FM-200 system. However, unlike the FM-200 which suppresses the fire by heat absorption or cooling, the 3M™ Novec™ 1230 displaces the oxygen around a fire to suppress it.

CO2 Fire Suppression Systems

If a building has rare or little occupancy, they may use a CO2 fire suppression system instead of a clean agent system. These systems are only used in buildings with very low occupancy, as carbon dioxide can result in health risks for anyone exposed, and can even be deadly. Clean agent systems are much more common, as they use gases they aren’t harmful to humans.

3 Main Parts Of The System

A clean agent fire suppression system is commonly made up of three parts: smoke detectors, the control panel, and notification devices. The smoke detectors work as usual and will detect a fire before it has time to escalate into an uncontrollable event. The smoke detector will send a signal to the control panel, which then alerts the notification devices and activates the release device to suppress the fire. The notification devices are there to warn occupants of the fire, and alert people in the area when the clean agent is about to be released.

Fire Prevention and Protection Services from Fireline

Whether you need smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, or an automatic sprinkler system installed at your rental property, Fireline has you covered. We have been protecting people and properties from fire damage since 1947—and our experience shows in our excellent work! We are known for our wonderful customer service, our expertise, and our reliability. For more information on how we can help your residential or commercial property, visit us online or give us a call at (800) 553-3405. For more fire safety tips, be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google+.